Engine driving box



Aug. 3, 1937. s. E. MUELLER ENGINE DRIVING BOX Filed Dec. 29, 1934 ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 3, 1937 UNITED STATES ENGINE DRIVING BOX Stephen E. Mueller, Silvis, Ill., assignor to The Edna Brass Manufacturing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 29, 1934, Serial No. 759,632

1 Claim.

This invention relates to journals or bearings and more particularly to a type of bearing for employment in locomotives, commonly termed driving journal box; the invention relating specifically to an improved structure of crown brass appropriately seated and clamped against displacement and which can be conveniently re moved and replaced.

In steam locomotives a driving wheel axle is journaled in a pair of driving journal boxes mounted in recesses in parallel frame jaws, the axle or journal bearing against a bearing commonly termed a crown brass, installed within the driving journal box overlying the axle and under the prevailing railroad practice constitutes a semi-circular section which in service receives the weight of the locomotive and wear resulting in its distortion, requiring replacement.

The crown brass generally is pressed, cast or otherwise permanently installed in the driving box, necessitating removal of the driving box from the frame to renew the crown brass. This is a burdensome job requiring that either the axles and their wheels be dropped or the locomotive hoisted off the wheels in order that the driving box may be removed from the engine frame jaws, to replace or renew the brass.

In the present invention, a crown brass is provided as a finished product, requiring no machining after installation, and. can be removed or replaced by merely jacking up the box against the tension of the springs to a degree which, would correspond to a recession of the brass suflicient to allow it, after removal of clamp keys, to be longitudinally slipped out or withdrawn from the box.

, Various other features and advantages will be more fully apparent from a description of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of the improved driving journal box with a portion illustrated in vertical section.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3--3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on line 44, Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the upper, crown or head portion of the driving box similar to the section illustrated in Figure 1, with a modified form of crown brass.

Figure 6 is a section on line 66, Figure 5.

Referring to the drawing, l indicates the driving journal box generally rectangular in contour, following the conventional type of driving box, and provided with flanges 2, 2 extending laterally from the sides at the front and rear ends of the box to form channels 3, 3 respectively for each of the opposite sides of the box for engagement over pedestal jaws of the engine frame, slidably installing the driving journal box within the engine frame jaws; the box thus is recessed within 5 the engine frame for relative vertical movement.

The upper side of the driving box is also channeled for seating the usual spring yoke, not shown. The base and side walls of the vertical channels 3, 3 may be suitably lined, as shown, to lo providerenewable wearing surfaces. Likewise, the outer side or end of the box is provided with a wearing plate or liner to receive-the thrust from the hub of the drive wheel. V A

The box is of saddle form to straddle the axle with open ends and open bottom and thus constitutes a head or crown portion connecting a pair of opposite side walls 5, 5 which depend to extend downwardly below the axle for carrying and supporting a cellar 6 forming a removable base or bottom of the box. The saddle form of structure of the driving box with removable bottom provides for removing the driving box from the axle. The lower ends of the walls 5, 5 are connected by cross bolts or pins 1, l.

The. inner crown surface of the head of the box is concaved for seating a crown brass 8, and in the present instance the semi-cylindrical or arcuate surface 9 is eccentric to the circumference of the axle and merges with the inner surfaces of the side walls 5, 5 extending vertically tangentially thereto. The head or body portion of the box, approximately midway of its width, has a semi-cylindrical groove or. channel l0 recessed from the semi-cylindrical inner crown or arcuate surface 9 with the base of the groove or channel eccentric to the semi-cylindrical crown surface 9 for the reception of a crescent-shaped rib or lug H extending from the exterior side of the crown brass 8. The crown brass 8 matingly seats against the inner crown surface of the head of the box and is interlocked therewith against longitudinal or axial displacement. The crown brass, being approximately of crescent form in cross section has its inner or bearing surface concentric with the periphery of the axle to engage therewith, when seated in the driving box and is resistant against rotation under any translating influence imposed thereon by the rotating axle, whether rotating in either a forward or reverse direction.

The lower extremities of the side walls, each at its inner side terminates with a flange l2 having an inclined upper longitudinal edge or shoulder l3 forming with an opposing edge [4, of an outwardly projected upper portion of a corresponding side wall l5 of the cellar 6, a gib-way for the reception of a gib-key or wedge IE to clamp the crown brass to its seat within the box.

The cellar is provided with opposite end walls, the outer end wall I1, formed integral therewith and the inner end wall [8 as a removable plate bolted in place, the wall I! and the plate l8 each having a curved top edge approximately concentric with the periphery of the axle. The outwardly projected upper portion of the side walls l5 of the cellar provide a heavy or reinforced structure to abuttingly engage with the terminals of the crown brass 8 as a gib plate for compres sively securing the crown brass within the box by the wedges or gib keys, and supportingly sustains the crown brass within the side walls of the box.

The wedges or gib keys l6 each at an outer end is provided with a laterally extended lug l9 overlying the rear end of the box through which a stud 20 secured to and extending from the box,

traverses. The stud is provided with a nut for tightening the wedge or gib key and locking key to prevent it from moving.

The cellar provides a container for an axle lubricant and the method or means of lubrication may be conventional, and as illustrated comprises a curved perforated plate 2| bearing against the lower side of the axle over a cake of grease 22 carried by a holder pan 23 urged toward the axle by a spring 24. Other methods may be used for lubrication.

In the modification shown in Figures 5 and 6, the crown bearing at its forward end is provided with a flange 25 extending radially beyond its periphery and centrally longitudinal of its inner or bearing surface with an oil groove or duct 26. The inner surface of the bearing at the extremities thereof is provided with a slight relief indicated at 21 and inward of its opposite ends in an arc eccentric to the inner surface of the bearing.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A bearing of the character disclosed comprising, a journal box having an arcuate inner surface at the upper part, the surface eccentric to the journal engaged through the box, and opposing side walls depending from the upper part of the box, their inner surfaces tangential to said arcuate surface, the side walls each at its lower extremity having an inturned flange, a crown bearing of crescent form in cross section having an inner semi-cylindrical surface concentric with the journal for engagement therewith, and an outer semicylindrical surface eccentric to said inner surface 'in its interposition between the box and journal and unseatable for removal upon relative recession of said box and journal, a rib radially extended from the outer surface of said crown brass having an outer edge eccentric to the outer surface of said bearing, a cellar section adapted to fit between the depending walls of the box and having opposing side walls respectively in supporting engagement with the lower ends of said crown bearing and over-lying the inturned flanges of said depending walls, and a wedge engaged between the inturned flange of the depending box wall and corresponding over-lying wall portion of-the cellar for binding the elements of the structure together.

STEPHEN E. MUELLER. 

